Learning to crochet...

I love doing crafts and projects. Even before Pinterest was born I had many projects on my to do list. One craft that I taught myself to do was crocheting. I just loved all those cute little baby hats I was seeing all over Etsy. That's also when I started seeing patterns for sale on Etsy….(ding…lightbulb going off) I'm going to make a hat for my baby! I bought a pattern and I was going to make a hat….today. But wait, I need yarn and crochet hooks. Away to Michael's we go. 

Ok now what? Not as easy as I thought. If you're wanting to learn to crochet, my advice would be to start by learning the basic stitches. You Tube is a great source for this. That's how I learned to crochet. 

Here are the steps I took to learn how to crochet:

1) Choose a pattern that is geared towards beginners (a simple baby hat will work). I used this one I found on Etsy. It is the Li'l Jackie hat by injenuity. (It's not very difficult but it states that it is Easy/Intermediate difficulty. The stitches are not basic ones but still easy. Here is a basic hat pattern from Daisy Cottage Designs for those who want to start with something totally basic.

2) Check to see what materials you will need. There are different yarn weights, make sure you choose the correct one.

3) Get familiar with crocheting lingo. Single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, chain stitch…etc. Watch a few You Tube videos and learn the stitches that you are required to make in your hat. Next try the stitches along with the video to get used to them. Here are some links to get you started.

Learning to crochet basics- chain (ch) and single crochet (sc)

Half Double Crochet (HDC)

Half double crochet 2 together (hdc2tog)

Front and Back post half double crochet (fphdc & bphdc) used in the Li'l Jackie hat shown above

Long single crochet (Long sc) used in the Li'l Jackie hat

4) Go ahead and start your hat. As a beginner, it will likely take you a few tries before you start to see something resembling a hat. I took me probably 10 tries doing the first few rounds and ripping them apart before I got it. Making mistakes is part of learning and without someone there watching over your shoulder, you will likely make them. Don't give up.

5) Once that hat starts coming together there's a sense of pride and you'll be so excited to finish.

Here's My finished product (and my baby boy)….

Good Luck and happy crocheting!!!

Amanda <3

Family of boys….Hockey boys...

I grew up in a house of all girls. I had 3 sisters. Everything was pink and frilly. 

When I got married and was expecting my first I never imagined that I would end up with four BOYS! Life really changed for me, but in a really good way. I spend my days running around with these crazy little guys watching them run around, play, wrestle, and do very boyish things that I don't understand…lol. And I spend my nights and weekends in hockey rinks. Pearly Chic is my own little getaway in these crazy days where I get to be creative and write about my interests, fashion, beauty, cooking, and home design. All the things that don't interest these boys too much.

Thanks again for reading,

Amanda <3

#2 and #4. San Jose Sharks, Joe Thornton super fan.

There's #1 and #2. #1 is a Minnesota Wild, Zach Parise super fan.

#3 and #4 (always running around). #3 is a Calgary Flames fan. This year is his first year playing.

And here they are. The boys. 

I totally get to be the princess…haha

Baby Gear Giveaway

I'm excited to announce my first giveaway from Pearly Chic! This giveaway is geared to the new mama's and mama's to be.

Since this is a new blog and there's not a whole lot of readers yet, the odds are in your favour!

Up for grabs is: 

A JJCole Norah Diaper bag (value $120 usd)

A Zoli Baby Ohm diaper changing mat. It rolls up like a mini yoga mat, so cute. (value $20 usd)

A Dandelion Baby Organic Busy Block toy (value $29.99 usd)

Entry rules:

All you have to do is:

Be a subscriber to Pearlychic.com (enter your email on right side of home page) this gets you one entry

For extra entries:

Like Pearly Chic on Facebook here

Follow Pearly Chic on Instagram here

Post the link to this giveaway on your Facebook wall

after you've done that, leave a comment under this post leaving me your email address.

Giveaway ends March 16th (11:59pm)

Good Luck!

My favourite baby items...

I get alot of new moms and moms to be asking me what my favourite baby products are. I used to own a baby boutique before life got to cahotic, so I have plenty of experience trying out new products. Here are a few of my favourites.

I love this diaper clutch and changing mat. So classy looking. They come in a variety of colors and can be wiped clean. Somethimes you don't need to carry around your full diaper bag, this is a great alternative. You can also toss it in your diaper bag to keep you diapers from getting grushed.

Available from Posh Play here for $49

These Aden & Anais muslin swaddles are my personal all time favourite can't live without baby item. They are available in cotton, bamboo, and a marino blend. I used them for swaddling, light blanket, car seat shade (they are super breathable and airy), burp cloth, change table cover, and nursing cover. Available in so many pretty colors and patterns here at Aden & Anais. Cotton 4 pack is $49.95, so worth it.

If you haven't heard of Freshly Picked baby moccasins you will soon. These cute little baby slipper shoes are so trendy right now. Their patterns are absolutely adorable. 

Available here from Freshly Picked for $60.

This is the best breastfeeding pillow I've tried. It holds snugly to your body so you don't have to hunch over and get that "burning" in your neck from feeding in an awkward position too long.

Available here from My Breast Friend for $44.

The Bink Link. Never lose a pacifier again. These wooden beads come in a variety of styles.

Available here from Bink Link for $14

Love these Sillispoons. They are a silicone spoon and teething toy in one. Brilliant! 

Available here from Sillykids for $9.95 

So there you have it. My favourite baby items. I've got a a fun giveaway coming up for the mommies out there. Watch for the next post for your chance to win a great prize.

Amanda <3

Top 10 Kids Beach Essentials

T minus 6 weeks until we leave this Great Canadian winter for sunny Florida…woot woot! I love heading to the beach with the kids. It's so laid back and relaxing. The kids stay busy playing in the sand and water all day long. But getting there fully prepared is a different story. It's so hectic trying to pack beach bags and trying to not forget anything. I've made a list of my top 10 favourite beach items I never want to leave without.

1. Zinka Colored nosecoat

How awesome is this sunscreen? Available in a variety of colors from California based company Zinka. This stuff is a hit with surfers, volleyball players, and beachgoers. What kid wouln't love this? The best part is that it is visible on skin, so you know what's been covered.

I'm not sure my kids would want their whole body covered in this. They'd look like gummy bears. But, I think this would be great in areas that are prone to burn (nose, cheeks, ears, ets). Or even pace painting with sunscreen.

Available here at J.Crew for only $7

2. Eco Vessel Insulated Water Bottle

Staying hydrated at the beach on a hot day is a must. These leak proof stainless steel insulated bottles are perfect for lugging around. And they come in adorable patterns too.

Available here from ecovessel.com for $23.95

3. Reusable Swim Diaper

                                             

In the past I had used disposables before I discovered these reusable swim diapers from iplay. These are amazing. For the price of 2 packages of swim diapers you have one of these reusables that you can use time and time again. Plus they're better for the environment.

Available here $20 for shorts $30 for full suit

4. Beach Towels

These big and bright beach towels from Pottery Barn Kids are amazing. I love that they are so soft, big, and colorful. A must have for the beach.

Available here at Pottery Barn Kids for $26. You can get them personalized, and….free shipping on them right now.

5. Puddle Jumpers

For the little ones who can't swim yet, these are a lifesaver. Literally. These are U.S Coastguard approved lifejackets. They come in a variety of different colors and patterns. Again, a must have.

Find them here on Amazon for about $20

6. Sunhats

Love these hats. They have a breathable mesh rim around the top to allow air flow. The UPF 50+ rating provides the protection your little one needs from the sun. 

Available here from Sundayafternoons.com in super cute boy and girl patterns for $26 (on sale now for $20.80)

7. Waterproof Shoes

These waterproof sandals from Keen are the best. They are the Keen Newport H2. I prefer to use a multipurpose sandal like this rather than just a watershoe because it's durable, great quality, and fast drying, you can wear them right out of the water. 

Available here from Keen.com for $65

8. Sand Toys 

Can't forget the sand toys. I like this bucket set because it has a nice variety of sand toys. Only $10.99

Available here from Amazon.com by Dazzling Toys.

9. Mesh Bag

As much as I love the beach, I hate the sand that follows you home. It ends up everywhere. Especially with kids. The Shake tote has a mesh bottom that allows you to place your belongings inside and then you can open a flap at the botom to dump out any sand that settles. Genius.

Available here from Quirky.com for only $20

10. Cooler Tote

A day at the beach can work up quite the appetite. Packing snacks and drinks in an insulated cooler is super handy. This oversized cooler tote is perfect.

Avaialable here on Amazon for $24.90

Now I'm really getting excited to hit the beach.

Amanda <3

Happy Friday….

 

How hilarious is this? Troll doll or toddler?

My oldest son was begging to get a piece of his hair dyed green for hockey playoffs (his team is green). I wasn't sold on the idea of permanent hair colour yet so I settled on some spray in. He was happy and it looked pretty good. He's got brown hair, so the green was a bit darker. Well, when the boys left for hockey practice I couldn't help but put a tiny bit in Chandon's hair. Now this kid's hair is super blonde. Like white….lol. I totally hit the ground laughing and couldn't help but spray his whole head. Yup this 

is what we do for fun at this house. The kids just about died when they got home and walked through the door to see this guy running over to them. Gotta keep things fun in this crazy life….lol!

Happy Friday!

Amanda <3

Disney Cruise 2014 ~ Sailin' on the Dream

This salad looked and tasted seriously amazing

Oh my gosh, I never realized that Chandon was crying in this picture until now. Who cries on a Disney cruise right next to Mickey Mouse? right?

Our Disney cruise was so amazing. We sailed on the Dream for 4 nights and stopped in Nassau and Castaway Cay. I absolutely love Nassau because of Blue Lagoon Island. It's like a little tropical paradise away from it all. It's a 30 minute charter boat ride away from the city.  

Castaway Cay is wonderful too. I love that you can go to the beach for a day and then hop back on the ship and off to the dining room for dinner. Seriously carefree!

Pottery Barn Kids Lazy Susan

Ok, so I just HAD to blog about this. Recently I ordered a few pieces of furniture from Pottery Barn Kids (btw…totally happy with the purchases) I hummed and hawed about getting this and finally decided to go for it.
This little lazy susan is so simple yet so smart. It is just so nice to look at and so incredibly handy. I was not sure if its use would be any different then any other plastic container or bucket but it has become a handy goto homework organizer in our household. When Cohen has homework I pull out his books and plop the lazy susan in front of him. Everything he needs is there, nicely organized. And, he thinks it's neat so it makes him want to do his homework…hehehe.
I highly recommend this for any study space or craft area.


http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/mini-lazy-susan/       $35.00